Backpacks, school supplies for homeless students distributed

Published: Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 8:19 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 8:19 p.m.

Drivers lined up outside the Crosswalk Student Center at First Baptist Church of Hendersonville Thursday morning. They came from 12 school districts to pick up boxes of backpacks full of school supplies for homeless students.

They didn't have to wait long. A Feed the Children 18-wheeler pulled up, loaded down with backpacks from Tennessee.

“This is the first time Henderson County was asked to host the distribution site,” Christine Craft said, as representatives from 12 school districts in WNC came to pick up boxes of backpacks. Craft is the Homeless Education Link Project case manager for Henderson County Public Schools.

Homelessness in schools isn't a new problem, but it's a growing problem.

“Our numbers have increased every single year,” said Lisa Phillips, state coordinator for the North Carolina Homeless Education Program. In her four years on the job, the number has grown by 51 percent.

By the start of next school year, Phillips estimates there will be more than 28,000 students in the state's public school systems without a home.

In Henderson County, HELP counts 311 homeless students. Ten of those are dropouts. Of that number, 82 are known as “unaccompanied youth,” or children who couch surf and aren't just homeless, but alone, with no parents in their lives.

Domestic violence is also an issue for some children. Of the 311, 20 of those kids are also subjected to domestic violence.

The people that showed up representing 12 different school districts in Western North Carolina were homeless liaisons at their respective schools. The boxes were filled to the brim with backpacks holding school supplies.

Feed the Children is a national nonprofit that helps homeless youth.

“They work with the states and provide them with a certain amount (of backpacks) based on the number of homeless children in a school year,” Phillips said.

Other organizations came out on Thursday to help with the event. Members of Henderson County 4-H, First Baptist, Only Hope WNC, United Way, Kiwanis, the Housing Authority, Children and Family Resource Center and representatives from the school district helped load cars.

<p>Drivers lined up outside the Crosswalk Student Center at First Baptist Church of Hendersonville Thursday morning. They came from 12 school districts to pick up boxes of backpacks full of school supplies for homeless students.</p><p>They didn't have to wait long. A Feed the Children 18-wheeler pulled up, loaded down with backpacks from Tennessee.</p><p>“This is the first time Henderson County was asked to host the distribution site,” Christine Craft said, as representatives from 12 school districts in WNC came to pick up boxes of backpacks. Craft is the Homeless Education Link Project case manager for Henderson County Public Schools.</p><p>Homelessness in schools isn't a new problem, but it's a growing problem.</p><p>“Our numbers have increased every single year,” said Lisa Phillips, state coordinator for the North Carolina Homeless Education Program. In her four years on the job, the number has grown by 51 percent.</p><p>By the start of next school year, Phillips estimates there will be more than 28,000 students in the state's public school systems without a home.</p><p>In Henderson County, HELP counts 311 homeless students. Ten of those are dropouts. Of that number, 82 are known as “unaccompanied youth,” or children who couch surf and aren't just homeless, but alone, with no parents in their lives.</p><p>Domestic violence is also an issue for some children. Of the 311, 20 of those kids are also subjected to domestic violence.</p><p>The people that showed up representing 12 different school districts in Western North Carolina were homeless liaisons at their respective schools. The boxes were filled to the brim with backpacks holding school supplies.</p><p>Feed the Children is a national nonprofit that helps homeless youth. </p><p>“They work with the states and provide them with a certain amount (of backpacks) based on the number of homeless children in a school year,” Phillips said.</p><p>Other organizations came out on Thursday to help with the event. Members of Henderson County 4-H, First Baptist, Only Hope WNC, United Way, Kiwanis, the Housing Authority, Children and Family Resource Center and representatives from the school district helped load cars. </p><p>Reach Millwood 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>